Category — K9JY Site Updates

This week I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of behind-the-scenes work on the blog. Essentially, the new theme here uses “CSS” for rendering pictures, but most of my pictures that accompany articles use “HTML” for how the picture is presented. If you used Internet Explorer, you didn’t notice. If you use Firefox or Safari, the picture moved right up to the text — not what I want to show.

Consequently, I spent most of yesterday going into each article I have written since the beginning of the blog — 131 of them — and updating the picture framing.

Interestingly, I also found a lot of missing in action items which I didn’t realize were gone from my conversion from Yahoo! to Bluehost hosting and transferring the articles over. So much of the day was replacing pictures and fixing up the content.

Here is some of what got updated:

TI Antenna Setup — it was missing the pictures of the antennas…

Searching for Salt Water and the pictures for the County and State Parks were missing pictures.

Icom 7700 You Tube Video — the link properly displays now on the blog…and this is one of my more popular articles on the blog! One could see the video OK if you clicked on the link over to You Tube, but this fixes it so you can see the video on the blog itself…like it should be…

General fixing of the pictures was also done. Plus, I updated the series of rotating pictures at the header of the theme. Hopefully, they will represent ham radio and contesting well.

I’ve also added in a “Similar Posts” plugin that will automatically bring up other posts relating to the one being viewed.

Scot, K9JY

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Well, what started off as looking for the problem with a database error I was receiving upon upgrading to the latest version of WordPress software used on this blog has resulted in major changes to the site.

It started simply enough — upgrading the underlying WordPress software to 2.3.1 using a one-button upgrade button from my host last weekend. Easy — but then the normal upgrade stuff started to happen. First, not all the plugins (plugins are snippets of functional code) work in their current version. Upgrade the noted ones and then install them on the five sites I have.

Then, some of the plugins simply don’t work with this version of software and the authors haven’t upgraded them to match the new code. Hard to complain — the plugins are for free.

The critical plugin that didn’t work for me was the “share this” plugin found at the end of each of my posts. It took me all week in my spare time to find another version because sharing stuff is a good thing. The first one I found and tested didn’t work. The second one, found in the “Bookmark Options” link below is the one I ended up with.

Then today my theme kept breaking the underlying database — so I changed themes, at least for the time being. I had found it on my travels for the new plugin. The theme offers up rotating header pictures and a lot of white space — very different from my previous theme.

Then I also added a “subscribe to comments” plugin that allows you to get subsequent comments to yours in your e-mail (I do nothing with your e-mail except protect your privacy). It’s great for following a conversation without having to check back on the blog.

The final thing you will notice is that the old header had some direct links — especially to the K9JY WriteLog User Site. You can still see all of those links on the left by K9JY Resources.

Summary of changes since last Saturday:

• New theme with rotating header pictures and a lot of white space for easier reading
• New social bookmarking plugin under “Bookmark Options”
• New “subscribe to comments” plugin
• Five updated “under the hood” plugins for the site
• Upgraded WordPress software

And I had a little turkey and and dressing in the meantime.

Hope your contesting is going well! If you get a chance, click on over to the site and take a look at the new look.

Scot, K9JY

Just a quick update to let you know that I’ve added in the information for a couple of different sections.

First, Post Contest.

This section describes all of the activities that can be done after the contest is over. This section tells you how to edit your log, export your log, submit your log, create reports, and how to QSL using WriteLog.

Second, I’ve added in sections on Specialized Setup that includes the Tools and Contest menu items from the WriteLog top menu.

Left to complete is the “other subjects” section.

Too slowly, but surely, this is getting done. Thanks for the patience.

Scot, K9JY

Well, in case you were wondering who the person behind the curtain is here at K9JY, I’ve written a media page that offers up a short and long bio with various sized images.

Just in case some ham radio magazine comes along and wants to know what’s what.

Scot, K9JY

Here’s the latest on the update to the WriteLog User Site:

Completed sections:

First Time Setup

• Files
• Radio Settings
• Setup
• Window Functions
• Saving Your Configuration

Specialized Setup

• Entry

Much more to do in this category.

WriteLog Windows

• QSO Entry
• Super Check Partial
• Check Call
• Packet
• Rate
• Sked
• Band Map

Still to go: QSO Log Editing and Show Multipliers

WriteLog.ini

• General Settings
• Band Map
• CW Settings
• Rigs
• RTTY

This section is complete.

Sections still to do:

Other Subjects, such as how to arrange windows, exchange fields, master data, sound cards, etc.

Plus “After the Contest” for reporting and sending in Cabrillo files.

I’m pleased with the progress. I’m also cleaning up a lot of code, so the site should run a lot faster as well.

You can access the site at: http://writelog.k9jy.com

Scot, K9JY

Just a quick update to let you know that I’ve been making some fairly good progress on getting the WriteLog User Site back up and working in the new format.

There is a new template that I’m using that seems to work pretty well, a “floating” width template that will go as wide as your screen and maintain the writing.

I’m setting up the site with four (right now) main sections associated with WriteLog:

First Time Setup. This is the one-time setup that needs to be done to get WriteLog up and working.

Specialized Setup. This is mainly all about the setup needed for different modes, classes, and contests based upon the rules.

Other WriteLog Topics. I need a better title, but essentially reference material not found any other place.

Operating WriteLog. This is how WriteLog is used in a contest in the heat of battle.

There will be some tweaks, of course, but I’m happy with how the content is turning out — only one place to find information on a given topic making things easier to find — and how the content is structured.

Right now, most of First Time Setup is complete. Click on that on the main menu and you will see another row of topics show beneath it for your subjects.

By the way, you can bookmark the site directly and bypass this blog by inputting this address and then saving it to your favorites:

http://writelog.k9jy.com

As noted, I’m going to be done with the site by the end of August as I want to be ready with it for the fall contesting season.

Scot, K9JY